“Through
dance, singing, and spoken word the dancers led the audience on an
emotional journey as they sought the answer to the question asked
throughout the piece, "What will it take to make you see me?"

"An
Earthy Take on a Heavenly Book: ‘Job,’ at the Flea Theater"
by Ben Brantley, The New York Times, New
York, September 19th, 2012

"...These
horrors, punctuated by lively ritualistic dances on both heaven and
earth (choreographed by Joya Powell), are given unflinching and
unwinking life by the Bats, the Flea’s company of young resident
actors..."

"Protesting
isn't the only way to show support for Trayvon Benjamin Martin.Joya
Powell and...Movement of the People Dance Company have another way to
highlight the injustices brought against the slain teenager:
performance."

"InMovement
of the People Dance Company's 30
Going on HAG,
Joya Powell explores feminine norms and the glorification of
marriage. The dance features four wedding-dress clad women with arms
bound by the sleeves of their outfits. In one striking moment, the
women — gagged by bridal veils, which earlier they flaunted —
confront the audience with terror."

"Joya
Powell’s fashions a thought-provoking
piece examining society’s preoccupation with women who defy
expectations in 30 Going on Hag.
A quartet of females, attired in lacy white frocks and bridal veils,
begin with their arms wrapped around their bodies, a literal straight
jacket. Hunching against the traditional roles adopted by women of a
certain age — marriage, children, and stable job — the foursome
rebels. They smack their chest, curl on the floor, and find comfort
in their friendships, as they lean against each other to the haunting
strains of Purcell’s “Dido and Aenas.” Ultimately, they chart
their own path, removing their wedding dresses and spitting out their
veils, united in their rejection of other-imposed values."

"ChEck
Us OuT Dance Festival: A Celebration of Female Choreographers"by Jane Sato, Theatre is Easy, www.theasy.com,
July 17th, 2013

Brzezinski put
together quite a diverse show ranging from Joya
Powell's(Movement
of the People Dance Company) African
style piece "Love Against the Rocks" to more of a comedic
and theatrical production by Stacy Donovan's (Improbable Stage
Company) "Elements of a Sustainable Rhythm."

"Joya
Powell,
Art Director and Choreographer for theMovement
of the People Dance Company,
will rise with us. This Valentine’s Day, one billion men and
women will stand up, rise, and dance to harmoniously demonstrate a
demand to end violence against women. Powell’s
socio-conscious choreography brings historical and cultural issues to
the stage. Melding modern dance and traditional movement from
indigenous cultures, her work and performance is geared to be
therapeutic for all those who collaborate. Look for her
upcoming project “Veiled Reflections,” which reaches women on a
global scale and explores how their secrets affect them, us,
physically."

"Another
delightful attribute is Job's
use of dance, choreographed by Joya Powell. Both Satan and God have a
signature happy dance, performed whenever something pleasing occurs.
Job's children die? You can expect Satan to smirk and shake his hips.
Job still devout? Time for God's routine jig. There is also an
enjoyable production number that involves most of the cast (a big
ensemble in a tiny space). The use of movement further colors the
play."

"DANCE
REVIEW; Youth Indulges the Past, Its Sadness and Comedy" by
Jennifer Dunning, New York Times, March 4th, 2000

"...Woven
through this pretty, nutty dance were actual words that suggested Ms.
Pulvermacher might have been looking back through an ancestral past
that she had claimed for the fabric of her daily life. And her six
radiant performers -- Meaghan Daly, Thea Little, Liz Pearlman, Joya
Powell, Emily Prager and Nikki Zeichner
-- made those comical and sad memories live again, robustly, in an
even younger generation."